Abu Shabab militia leader killed in Gaza gun battle, passes away in Israeli hospital

Yasser Abu Shabab, head of a Gaza-based militia reportedly cooperating with Israel, was fatally shot during an internal dispute within his clan and later died in an Israeli hospital. The Israeli sources confirmed the killing on Thursday.

The militia, known as the Abu Shabab group or the "Popular Forces," had been engaged in anti-Hamas operations in southern Gaza. Sources indicated that Abu Shabab's death resulted from a conflict within his own faction rather than an attack by Hamas operatives.

After being wounded, Abu Shabab was evacuated to a hospital in southern Israel, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries. Initial reports suggested he was taken to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, but the hospital later clarified he was not admitted there and did not die on its premises. Investigations into the incident are ongoing.

Abu Shabab, a man in his 30s of Bedouin descent, led a relatively small criminal and paramilitary group compared to Hamas. UN official Georgios Petropoulos once described him as a "self-styled power broker of east Rafah." He had previously faced allegations from aid workers and humanitarian organizations for seizing humanitarian aid trucks in Gaza.

In public statements, Abu Shabab denied looting aid supplies, claiming his group distributed the resources to support their local community, accusing Hamas of misappropriating aid. The Popular Forces also stated that they had protected aid deliveries within the enclave, ensuring trucks reached their destinations safely under their supervision.

Social media footage reportedly shows members of the Abu Shabab militia being killed amid chants supporting Hamas. Over recent months, Hamas's military wing, the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, claimed to have carried out operations to weaken the Abu Shabab militia, including arrests and confiscation of weapons on multiple occasions in October.

Author: Aiden Foster